Auld Lang Syne
by BeneathTheUmbrella
Summary: Ted and Tracy say goodbye to 2013. Follow-up to Sick Day.


_And the latest chapter is up! It particularly kicked my butt, so I'm happy to have it done, and overall pleased with the result. I'm off to New York City for a few days, so it'll be a wait until I begin work on my next chapter. But maybe the city will inspire me. Enjoy!_

* * *

Ted drove down the highway, the last leg of his journey almost complete. After a week, he was almost home!

He had spent a lovely holiday with his family up in Ohio, meeting his dad's new girlfriend who, despite being closer to _his_ age than his father's, seemed pretty nice. And, an even bigger surprise, his sister Heather—who had left Manhattan after only a year to move back to Ohio and become a financial adviser—was now engaged, and had brought her new fiancé Mark to meet the family.

Everyone was saddened that Tracy couldn't be there, but he assured them all that he'd bring her up to Cleveland _very_ soon.

He had a great week, admittedly, but right then, he just wanted to be with Tracy. He last saw her on the morning of the 24th: they drove to New Jersey the previous evening to have dinner with her parents, to give him a chance to wish them a Merry Christmas and give them their gifts before he left for Ohio.

Ted spent the night with Tracy in her old room, exchanging gifts in private, and early the next morning, while her parents were still asleep, he started to get ready for the seven-hour drive. Tracy made him a breakfast sandwich and coffee for the road and, while it was still dark outside, they kissed goodbye on the front porch, Ted insisting she get back inside where it was warm (even though he wasn't exactly putting any effort in pulling away from her lips), but she refused.

Still in her pyjamas, the porch light illuminating her face, she watched him back out of the driveway. He gave her a light wave from the street and, albeit hesitantly, drove off. He quickly peered from the rear-view mirror, and he saw that she was still on the porch, watching him drive away.

Ted's eyes went back to the road, mentally calculating that he'd be in Cleveland at around noon. Satisfied, he went to reach for a sip of coffee when he noticed a CD case sitting on the passenger seat. Curious, and careful not to turn his eyes away from the road, he reached for it.

He noticed Tracy's perfect handwriting right away, with 'Teddy's Road Tune' scrawled on it, Ted finding it unusual that she would forget the 's' at the end of 'tunes'... He removed the disc from its case and popped it into the CD drive.

There was a few seconds of silence before Tracy's voice jumped out from the speakers.

"Hey, babe!" she said, her voice cheery, which made Ted smile and miss her all the more. _It's been less than three minutes, Teddy: man up!_

"I know you have seven hours of driving ahead of you," Tracy continued. "So I hope this song will help pass the time."

She began to strum a few notes on her ukulele, which sounded very familiar to Ted. He very quickly realized, to his amazement, that she was playing a softer version of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", her gorgeous voice belting out the lyrics, replacing "man" with "girl" throughout. When she sang about getting drunk next to him, he chuckled. _Been there_, he thought.

And when she sang about coming back home to him, he smiled. And then she sang about growing old with him—Ted noticing the fact that her voice got particularly wistful during that line—which warmed Ted's heart. And then she got to the _da-lat-das_, slowing down the tempo and singing them out so softly, which pretty much made Ted's breath catch in his throat.

He listened in awe as he drove, letting her voice envelop him. Ted deduced that he could listen to the song on repeat for the next seven hours and not get sick of it. Ted felt an instant loss the moment Tracy finished singing.

"…Just to be the girl who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your do-oo-or."

_I gotta listen to it again!_ Ted thought as he was about to press the back button. Before he could, Tracy spoke up again.

"Hope you liked it, Ted. And you know, if I could, I'd walk 500 miles to see you this Christmas. Well, technically it's 471 miles to Cleveland... Drive safely, and call me when you get there. I love you, and I miss you already."

She had done it. She had taken his fun and silly road trip song and made it her own, turning it into one of the most beautiful love songs he had ever heard. She just continued to amaze him, time and again, and he just, just…

He had to see her.

Ted had been driving for less than 10 minutes, and hadn't hit the highway yet. He checked his mirrors, content that there were no other cars on the road, and performed a U-turn, now heading back towards Tracy's parents' house. He was driving a little bit over the speed limit, eventually turning hastily into the driveway.

He jumped out of the car, not caring to even turn off the engine, and ran up to the front door. He recalled Tracy saying once that her parents kept a spare key in the planter. So Ted reached in his fingers, dug around some of the snow that had accumulated, and found it. He gently opened the door, and softly closed it behind him; despite his eagerness, he knew he had to be quiet so as to not wake up her parents.

He crept up the steps, making it to the second floor and walking towards Tracy's door. He softly pushed it open, Tracy lying in the bed. She gasped, obviously not expecting him, and sat up in bed, her hand to her chest.

"Ted?" she asked, squinting her eyes in the darkness. "What are you—"

He shut the door behind him and wordlessly made his way over to the bed. She looked up at him, slightly confused, as he crawled under the covers, gently pushing her down onto the bed and laying on top of her. He didn't want anything from her at that moment, just to kiss her and hold her and tell her how much he loved her. For just a few more minutes before he had to leave again.

His hands cradled her face, thumbs stroking her cheeks. He gazed into her eyes for a brief moment before pressing his lips to hers. Tracy was unresponsive for a half a second, still unsure why Ted had come back, but she gave in quickly, kissing him back softly, her hands grasping the lapels of his cold jacket.

"You're so warm," Ted murmured, burying his face in her neck.

Tracy chuckled. "And you're cold to the touch," she said softly, shivering in delight as she breathed him in. "So what's gotten into you, hon?"

He pulled himself away to look her in the eyes. "In a week," he said hoarsely. "In a week, when I come home… I know I'm gonna be… I'm gonna be the man who's coming home to you."

Her eyes softened. "I'll be waiting," she whispered.

Ted smiled. "471 miles," he said.

"471 miles," she echoed.

They continued kissing for a few more minutes, Ted careful not to take things too far. If he did, he knew that he'd have even more trouble walking away from her. Although _her_ eager fingers were lingering below the belt.

Ted sighed. "Ok, I should get going," he said reluctantly.

"The week will go by quickly," she assured both him and herself.

"Not quick enough," he lamented, giving her one last kiss before climbing out of bed with a groan.

Tracy laughed, rolling over in bed to face him as he stood by the door. "Well, I think this impromptu rendez-vous will tide us over until we see each other again."

"Yeah," Ted agreed. "Go back to sleep."

"Oh, Ted: you do _not_ get a girl riled up this early in the morning and expect her to fall back asleep," she chided him. "I guess I'll just lie here, alone... thinking of you." She had a twinkle in her eye.

Ted groaned. "Not cool, Trace."

"Drive safe," she told him, lifting the covers up to her chest. "I love you."

"Love you, too," he said, taking her in one last time before he disappeared out the door.

They spoke every day, morning and night, while he was away, and texted one another numerous times in between, sometimes late into the night. And it was during one of their late-night texting sessions, when Ted was missing her presence particularly bad, that Tracy came up with the "novel" idea of not seeing each other until New Year's Eve.

Ted was going to be back in Manhattan on the evening of the 30th. The party was on the night of the 31st. That was 24 whole hours where they'd be in the same city, but he wasn't allowed to see or touch her. That did not sit well with Ted. He protested, he whined, heck, he even begged, but Tracy—who loved surprises—was excited at the idea.

_The build-up to seeing each other again! The anticipation!_ she wrote.

_The blue balls_, Ted added, frowning.

_You can take care of that yourself until then, babe,_ she typed. _And just think of it: seeing each other again in that ballroom after all this time, dressed to the nines... It'll be perfect!_

Ted chuckled, and reluctantly agreed. He couldn't help it; he adored how excited she could get when she got an idea in her mind. And he loved that she was as hopeless a romantic as he, how in love with love she always was.

_Fine_, he typed. _But when midnight strikes, I'm taking you up to the bedroom so fast..._

_And, what exactly will you do to me, big boy?_ she asked.

Ted's groin stirred. _Well..._ he began, going into great detail about what exactly he wanted to do with her once he saw her again.

His mind back to the present moment, Ted made it back to the city around dinner time, tired after the long drive, and due to the fact that he was stuck in traffic just outside Manhattan. He dropped his bags onto the floor, and plopped down on the couch with a happy sigh.

His first instinct was to call Tracy, but remembered their agreement. So he ordered some Chinese food from downstairs, and called up Barney instead, who was at laser tag, and informed him that the girls were getting their nails done for tomorrow.

"I wouldn't want to be in your place, bro," said Barney sympathetically, then chuckling at Ted's plight. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Ted agreed. "G'night, buddy."

Alone and not sure what to do with himself, Ted decided to send Tracy a quick text. Just to let her know that he made it home safely.

_Hey, sweetie. I'm back! I miss you._

He waited a couple of minutes before his phone dinged. He grabbed it eagerly.

_Hi, Ted! It's Robin; Tracy's nails are still wet, so she asked me to check her texts. She says, "Welcome home, and I miss you too."_

Ted chuckled, although he was a bit disappointed. _Oh, ok. I wanted to say something else to her, but I guess I 'll save that for some other time._

Another couple of minutes passed. _Yep, it's best you don't type anything that's R-rated here. Tracy's already blushing. _

Ted smiled. _Fine. Just tell her I love her and that I'll see her tomorrow._

A minute later: _She's making kissing sounds and says she loves you too. And she called you Pooh Bear. You two are too adorable for your own good. Good night, Ted._

He laughed. _Sorry about that. Goodnight to you both._

Ted put his phone away and sighed. He really wanted to speak with Tracy, but he got his fix by proxy, at least. He'd just have to wait until tomorrow for the real thing.

* * *

The following night, Ted arrived at the Waldorf-Astoria at 7:30, jumping out of the cab and onto the crowded street, making his way to the hotel lobby.

He gave his name at the front desk, told that his group had already checked in. He handed over his overnight bag, assured that it would get to his room shortly, and Ted then made his way to the elevator.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Tracy. _I'm on my way up. Where are you guys?_

As the elevator made its way to the 19th floor, his phone dinged. _You'll see us: we're by the bar at the far end of the ballroom. See you soon! ;) _

Ted smiled: that winky face emoticon held so much promise of the wonderful evening ahead. He was excited. Ted always loved New Year's Eve; while having to say goodbye to this particular year was bittersweet—it had been pretty much the best year of his life—he was looking forward to the year ahead, and to starting it with Tracy by his side.

He found his way to the Starlight Roof, stopping for a moment to just gaze around the elegant space, amazed that in his years living in New York, he'd never gotten the chance to step foot in this historic room until now. The large floor-to-ceiling windows, the Art Deco murals, the detailed metal grillwork on the ceiling... He could just _feel_ the energy of the 1930s and 1940s: the smoking, the dancing, the repartee, the sophistication; the band was even presently playing what sounded like a jazzy waltz, setting the mood even further. Ted very quickly realized that the song was "La Vie en Rose".

This pulled him away from his time-traveling reverie, and brought his thoughts back to the present, to Tracy. He walked further into the ballroom, spotting the bar in the far end of the room. He walked closer and closer, and spotted a familiar-looking trio, Tracy's back to him.

She was wearing an emerald-colored dress, made of some kind of lightweight material, like chiffon. It hugged her body in all the right places, and flared out at her feet. Her hair, in wavy curls, flowed loosely down her back, passed her bare shoulders.

_The green green dress, what a pleasure to unwrap. Green dress, oh what it can do. What the green green dress does to me on you_, _me on you,_ went the song in his head.

He walked on over, Barney and Robin spotting him first, and he gave them a silent nod hello as he stopped behind Tracy, inches from her. He slipped his arms around her waist, slightly startling her. "Hey," he whispered in her ear.

She leaned back against his chest, not yet looking at him. "What are you doing here? My boyfriend will be here any minute. I'll meet you in the coat check room in an hour!"

Ted rolled his eyes. "The least you could do is not have your other boyfriend take over _my_ Tracy time. You can see him on the 2nd."

Tracy giggled and turned around in his arms to face him. "Aw, I've missed you, baby. We'll just let that other guy sit alone in the coat check room tonight."

"I've missed you, too," he said, hungrily kissing her for the first time in eight days. He let one hand tangle itself in her hair, cradling the back of her head, the other resting on her lower back, supporting her as he dipped her slightly backwards.

"Hey, Ted!" Barney said, giving his wife a grin and waving his arms in the air. "We're here, too!"

Ted held out his finger in the air as he continued to kiss Tracy, silencing him. He loved the feel of Tracy's fingers in his hair, her tongue tangling with his, her chest pressed against his. He finally pulled away to look at her, her eyes dancing, her lipstick a bit smudged up from their kiss. But she looked altogether beautiful.

"Ok, I need to say hi to the others now," he said reluctantly.

Tracy laughed and nodded her head, reaching her thumb up to wipe the lipstick off of Ted's lips. "Red isn't your color."

He chuckled as he looked over at his friends."Sorry, guys," he said, admittedly not all that apologetic. "How was the ski trip?" he asked, giving Robin a kiss hello, and fist-bumping Barney.

"It was amazing. I love Canada during the holidays!" said Robin. "The weather was lovely, my dad's cottage was beautiful, and it was an overall great Christmas." She smiled lovingly at Barney.

"I agree," he said. "The skiing conditions were great. The après-ski was amazing. And the après-_après_-ski, well..." He trailed off and grinned at his wife. "I'll leave that between me and my wife."

Ted laughed. "Barney isn't oversharing? Wow, marriage _has_ changed you, buddy."

"Theodore Evelyn Mosby! I would _never_ go into detail with others about what goes on in our marriage bed! Or the marriage floor, the marriage doorframe, the shower, kitchen counter, balcony, sofa, or pool," he said speedily, holding up his hand to Robin. "Matrimony five!"

Robin sighed, shook her head and reluctantly high-fived her husband.

"And _now_, we have all night to party it up!" Barney continued, high-fiving Ted, and then Tracy. "In this redonkadonk hotel!"

"Isn't this place _amazing_?" Ted agreed excitedly. "I mean, the people who have performed and partied here: Gene Kelly, Lena Horne, Duke Ellington..."

Barney and Robin rolled their eyes as Ted continued.

"And, fun fact: the roof used to be retractable! They sealed it up in the 1950s once they got A/C, but before then, the roof opened up and you would just gaze up at the stars!"

"That sounds romantic," Tracy said, eating up his fun facts.

"It _was_ romantic," Ted agreed, taking Tracy's hand. "Just think of the many love stories that must've begun in this very room!"

"I can imagine," she said softly. "Come on, let's dance." She pulled him towards the dance floor where quite a few other couples were swaying. Barney and Robin followed suit. Ted gladly wrapped his arms around her, hands settled low on her back, and pulled her close to him.

"Hi," he said, smiling wide. "I can't believe I can finally hold you after all this time. I hope your little experiment was worth it."

Tracy grinned. "_I_ think it was," she told him. "Sorry about last night, by the way. I wanted to talk to you, too."

"S'ok," Ted assured her, taking one of her hands and lifting it, observing her red, glossy nails. "So these are the reasons why I couldn't properly tell my girlfriend I loved her last night. You're lucky they look real nice." He kissed her fingers.

"Mmm. I missed you, babe," she told him. "And you look very handsome in your suit." She tugged at his tie and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"And you look stunning," he said, leaning down to kiss her again, his lips barely an inch from hers, when Barney danced himself and Robin over to where he and Tracy were swaying.

"Hey, Ted! Significant other switch!"

Barney spun Robin around once, twice, and into Ted's arms, gallantly holding his hand out for Tracy to take. She took it with a smile, giving Ted a wink before Barney put his hands to her waist and began spinning her around the dance floor, Ted unable to look away as she moved.

He and Robin both laughed and then focused their attentions on one another. Robin put her left hand on Ted's shoulder as his right hand settled on her upper back. He grasped her other hand in his as they slowly began to dance.

"Tracy looks gorgeous tonight, doesn't she?" Robin asked knowingly.

"She sure does," Ted said in a dreamlike state, looking over as Barney whispered something in Tracy's ear, causing her to laugh happily. Two years ago, this probably would've been worrisome—Barney had stolen many a girl from under Ted's nose in the past, after all. But now, Barney was happily married and faithful, and besides that, he looked at Tracy as he did Lily: like a dear friend, practically a sister.

"Oh, you look good, too!" Ted said, looking back at Robin apologetically and giving her a meek smile. "Sorry."

Robin laughed. "It's ok," she assured him. "Tracy spent a lot of time picking out that dress, so she'd be happy to know it produced the desired effect."

Ted smiled. "Hey, by the way, I've never told you, but thank you for being so welcoming with Tracy these past few months. It means a lot."

"No need to thank me. I really enjoy spending time with her," she said in earnest. "Besides, with Lily gone, it's admittedly nice to have a friend around."

"I'm glad," he said, pleased. "I feel she's definitely connected with the gang." They glanced over at Tracy and Barney again, who were now dancing out of beat with the song, doing some sort of weird tango.

"She has," Robin agreed. "And I'm kind of glad I'm not the newbie anymore. By the way, we're going to have to initiate her into the group once Lily and Marshall get back."

Ted smiled, as Barney and Tracy danced back towards them. "I can't wait," he said, as Barney deposited a breathless Tracy in front of him.

"Here you go, man. Brought her back in one piece. My lovely wife, please?"

Ted let go of Robin, who sauntered into her husband's arms, and pulled Tracy into his embrace, clasping his hands on her lower back.

"Where on earth did Barney learn to dance like that?" Tracy asked. "It was quite impressive."

"Ballroom, tap, jazz, and modern dance lessons when he was a kid," Ted explained. "He never told us, and he doesn't know I know; his mom told me once when we were helping to pack up his childhood home."

"Aw, that's cool!" she said approvingly.

"It is," Ted said. "And I'm waiting for the day I get to use that bit of info as blackmail."

"Ted, that's mean!" she said, laughing.

At that moment, the band stopped playing music to announce that dinner was now ready to be served. They headed over to their table, where they were sitting with Patrice and her new boyfriend, Wayne, and a few other people from the newsroom. The president of WWN gave a rousing speech to his employees before they dove into their dinner; a seven-course meal which included a creamy butternut squash soup; a watercress, beat and feta cheese salad; filet mignon with new potatoes and roasted winter vegetables; and a tasty crème brûlée with coffee.

After dinner, they all headed back towards the dance floor, winding their way through the throngs of people. They danced it up like crazy, as if the night was neverending. And then the party favours started to get distributed, Ted nabbing a plastic tiara and gently placing it on Tracy's head. He found a glittery top hat for himself, and a couple of noise makers.

The excitement in the ballroom was palpable and, as midnight approached, the dance floor became more and more crowded. Ted pressed himself close to Tracy, who kissed him wildly and wantonly, clearly having the time of her life.

Ted contemplated on the past year, how his life, as well as hers, had changed. They were both lonely and broken this time last year: he, painstakingly searching, hoping, praying for "the one"; she, trying to envision a future for herself but unable to let go of Max. And then, in what seemed like an instant after they were each at their lowest, they had found each other. Just when they were both finally ready to open up their hearts and let love in again.

They were nearing the final seconds before the new year arrived, and Ted thought back to the highs of his year.

"10!" Spotting Tracy for the first time on that stage as she strummed her bass, Ted dumbstruck by her beauty, literally rendered speechless.

"9!" His fast realization that he had been in possession of her umbrella for a while, that the universe just may have had a hand with their meeting that night in Farhampton.

"8!" How beautiful she looked on their first date, and how easily they could've parted ways that night, until Tracy boldly decided to not let the moment go by.

"7!" The feel of her lips on his, hesitant but curious, that pretty much confirmed to Ted that he did not want to kiss anyone else for as long as he lived.

"6!" The way they opened up to one another, how she trusted him enough to bare her soul, to share her deepest and darkest fears, and vice versa.

"5!" Their first time, in all its awkward beauty, with every kiss, whisper, touch and thrust encompassing their growing feelings for one another.

"4!" The first time they said they loved one another, Ted never understanding or feeling the true weight of those three words until that glorious day.

"3!" How they settled into life together, the routine they've built: from singing English muffins to the crossword puzzles on the weekends, the little things that made the days all the more special.

"2!" Their talks about the future, quietly admitting dreams of marriage and kids, the prospect of such a life together making Ted's heart sing.

"1!" The way she was looking at him right now, full of love in her eyes, like he was all she needed, all she ever wanted...

"Happy New Year!" the crowd cried out. The band began playing "Auld Lang Syne" as Tracy jumped into Ted's arms, throwing her arms around his neck. He held her up, firmly and securely, as he kissed her, pouring out every feeling of love he had for her, from his mouth to hers. They pulled apart, swaying to the music, not wanting to let go. Ted was never going to let go.

"So," Ted began, breathless. "2013 was a pretty good year, huh?"

"One of the best in recent memory," Tracy concurred.

Ted grinned. "And 2014?"

"I foresee only good things ahead," she assured him, looking into his eyes. "I love you, Ted. I just—" She couldn't finish her sentence, choking up a bit.

"I know," he said softly, understanding the gravity of her emotions. Whenever he'd stop to think about all they'd gone through—particularly what his strong, resilient, amazing Tracy had endured—to get to the here and now, it was enough to bring him to tears, as well. "I love you, too."

They kissed again, softly and sweetly, but it was all too brief, as Ted felt Barney's hands on his shoulders, shaking him.

"Broooooo!" he shouted happily, pulling Ted away from Tracy. "Happy New Year!"

The two friends hugged, Barney holding on for longer than the three seconds _The Bro Code_ allotted for a bro hug. Barney pulled away, his hands firmly on Ted's shoulders. "So, 2013 was the best year ever, huh?" he softly asked his friend.

They both looked over at Tracy and Robin, who were hugging happily. Ted and Barney smiled at their good fortune, and looked back at each other. "The best, buddy," Ted agreed, happily patting his friend on the back.

Their night didn't stop at the stroke of midnight. The party raged on as they continued dancing, drinking and, after Barney whipped out a small joint from his pocket, the four of them found an empty stairwell where they smoked it, thoughts of Marshall and Lily coming to Ted's mind.

It was 1:30am on the dance floor when Ted moved in closer to Tracy, so that his body was pressed flush against hers, giving her a clear indication of where his mind (and body...) was at in that particular moment. He figured everyone around them was too wasted to pay them any mind. "So, can we finally have some alone time now? We have a whole week to make up for," he whispered in her ear.

"Alright, you've been super patient," she acknowledged with a hungry grin, slipping her arms underneath his suit jacket. "And so have I, frankly. Let's go upstairs, baby."

They made their way over to where Barney and Robin were drunkenly swaying to the music.

Ted tapped Barney on the shoulder. "Hey guys, we're gonna call it a night."

"Aw, you guys _suck_!" cried Robin, a disappointed look on her face. "The party's nowhere near done!"

"Sweetie, let them go," said Barney. "They're just off to their own private party for two." Barney made a banging motion with his arms and pelvis at the word 'party'.

"Barney..." warned Robin.

"Don't be crass, bro," said Ted at the same time, shaking his head.

"That is _exactly_ what is going to happen," added Tracy. Ted glanced over at her. She shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, there's no point in denying what's gonna go down these next few minutes."

Robin was still saddened; the weed seemed to make her more emotional. "But it's the new year, guys! We need to celebrate _together_!"

"C'mon, Scherbatsky," said Barney, taking her hand. "They haven't seen each other in over a week. I know if _I_ hadn't seen you in that long, I would've had my way with you on this dance floor _hours_ ago!"

"God, I kinda want _you_ on this dance floor right now!" growled Robin, quickly lunging towards Barney, the two proceeding to make out fervently.

"Um, alright then," Ted said, smirking, as he and Tracy began backing away slowly. "We're just going to go now."

"See you in the morning," echoed Tracy.

But Barney and Robin couldn't hear them, giving Ted and Tracy the perfect opportunity to run away. They stumbled out of the ballroom, laughing as they made their way to the elevators. They kissed as they waited, Tracy telling him that the view of Park Avenue from their bedroom window was breathtaking.

"_You're_ breathtaking," he murmured, his hands on her hips, bunching up some of the green material in his fists and slowly lifting up the skirt of her dress. "And once that elevator door closes behind us, I'm going to take _your_ breath away."

The elevator door opened, and like a splash of cold water, there was an elevator operator, an older gentleman, inside. "Or not," Ted whispered, dropping her dress like a hot potato, and entering the elevator.

"Hi there!" Tracy said happily to the man. "Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year," he told them kindly. "Which floor?"

"30th, please," Ted said. "I hope you get to go home soon."

The man chuckled and pressed the button to their floor, the elevator beginning its ascent. "In an hour or so," he assured them. "Need to wish my wife a happy new year."

"Aw, that's sweet," said Tracy. "How long have you been married?"

"45 wonderful years," he told them. "And still as happy as you two clearly are."

Ted looked down at Tracy, who was looking back up at him lovingly. "45 years, huh?" he asked the man, not looking away from his girlfriend. "You sound like a lucky man."

"The luckiest," he said with a smile, the elevator stopping and the doors sliding open. "And you look like you're a close second, son. Have a good night."

They bid him good night, Ted slipping a tip into the man's hand and giving him a friendly smile, and Tracy led the way towards their suite. "Pretty damn lucky," Ted said aloud as they walked down the corridor, an arm loosely hanging around Tracy's shoulders.

"And you're about to get luckier," she told him, finally stopping in front of the door to their suite. Pulling out the key card from her clutch, she held it up for Ted to take. "You want to do the honors?"

"Gladly," he said, gently taking it from her hands, and giving her slow, tender kiss. He put it into the slot, and the light turned green.

He pushed the door, holding it open for Tracy. "You know, I firmly believe 2014 will be _our_ year," he told her as she walked passed him into the room.

"Yeah, it will," she responded softly, pulling him inside and shutting the door behind them.


End file.
